Method and Device for Flavoring a Cigarette

ABSTRACT

A method and device influences the flavor and smell of a cigarette while smoking by injecting additives into the cigarette, at the filter side or the tobacco side, using a device specially configured for this purpose. The user controls the cigarette taste, intensity of taste, and the smell by choosing the liquid material and quantity to be injected into the cigarette before or while smoking. The device and method improve the experience of smoking of any desired cigarette.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 13/361,138, filed Jan. 30, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/437,642, filed Jan. 30, 2011. The content of application Ser. Nos. 13/361,138 and 61/437,642 are hereby incorporated by reference. This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 11194529.1, filed Dec. 20, 2011, which is incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to devices for adding flavor to items, in particular, to cigarettes.

2. Description of the Related Art

Cigarette flavor and smell may be influenced by many factors such as tobacco type, filter type, wrapping paper type, chemical additives, fragile flavor-adding capsules pre-arranged inside the filter during manufacture, etc.

Usually cigarettes are produced to provide specific and known taste or flavor chosen by manufacturer. The user has no flexibility to change or improve the cigarette taste by adding his preferred flavor type and flavor intensity to fit his preferences.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a method and device for flavoring a cigarette that overcome the disadvantages of the devices and methods of this general type and of the prior art.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method and device for flavoring a cigarette.

The invention relates to the influencing of “flavor & smell” of a cigarette while smoking, by injecting liquid additives to the cigarette, at the filter side or the tobacco side, and using an injecting device specially designed for this purpose.

The invention is intended to improve the experience of smoking of any desired cigarette.

The user may control the cigarette taste, intensity of taste, and the smell by choosing the type of material and quantity to be injected to the cigarette before or while smoking.

Various insertion devices may fit for injecting the materials into the cigarette, two embodiments are illustrated.

The devices of the present invention are designed to fit the standard cigarette with or without filter, either as standalone units or attached to cigarette boxes.

However, the invention is not limited to any specific injecting mechanism, design, or any specific configuration and may include other injecting mechanism design or configuration options.

In the first embodiment (FIG. 1), a standard cigarette containing a tobacco rod and filter may be inserted through the open hall or cup into the standalone injection device.

While inserting the cigarette into the device, a concentric spring leads the cigarette to ensure that an injection nozzle located at the end of the hall penetrates gently right to the center of the cigarette.

An injecting button is located on the opposite side of the device, i.e. opposite the side that is adapted to receive the cigarette. Pushing the button will lead to injecting controlled flavor material into the cigarette.

Repeating pushing the button will lead to repeated injection of additional flavor material, if stronger flavor or smell is desired.

In the second embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3), the cigarette is inserted through the open hall in the injection device attached to the cigarette package. The filter side is inserted first.

While pushing the cigarette into the device, an injection nozzle of the device gently penetrates the cigarette filter.

The invention is intended to improve the experience of smoking of any desired cigarette.

Pressing the container located on the rear side of the device will operate the injecting mechanism, and a limited portion of flavor liquid material is injected into the cigarette filter.

Repeated pressing of the container will lead to repeated injection of additional measured flavor material, if stronger flavor taste or smell is desired.

Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method and a device for flavoring a cigarette, the invention should not be limited to the details shown in those embodiments because various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention while remaining within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention and additional objects and advantages of the invention is best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic side view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 1B is a sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1A taken along section line A.

FIG. 1C is a partial sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1A with a cigarette that is to be inserted.

FIG. 1D is an exploded view of the device shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1A, with a cigarette disposed therein, and the device connected to a cigarette pack.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a standalone injecting device 20A. The injecting device includes an injection button 1. The injection button 1 is attached to a flexible membrane 5 or a piston 5 by a rigid shaft 4. The shaft 4 and membrane 5 are normally held in upper position by a compression spring 3. The membrane 5 is located inside a flavor liquid container. A nozzle 7 is located on the bottom side of the unit, which covered by a cup 9. The cup 9 is sealed with two sets of O-rings 8.

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of an injecting device 20 mounted on a pack of cigarettes 21. A cigarette 11 is inserted into the device through the open end. A sliding ejecting button 22 is provided for ejecting the flavor liquid material container 23.

FIG. 3 shows detailed view cut of the device of FIG. 2. The device is attached to a cigarette package 21. A cigarette 11 is inserted from the open side. A device housing 30 together with an upper cover 35, hold together internal parts including: nozzle 7, which penetrate the cigarette filter and injecting liquid mechanism 38. Disclosed are also the flavor liquid material 20 container 23, for holding flavor material, and the container ejecting button 22.

The invention relates to a unique device 20A. The device 20A is specially configured to release a controlled amount of flavor material into a cigarette 11. The additive material affects the cigarette flavor or smell, or both flavor and smell, of the cigarette 11.

To provide the smoker the freedom of controlling the cigarette taste, the special device 20A, 20 design allows the injection of material at a controlled quantity to the cigarette 11.

The smoker may choose different type of additives liquid material, such as mint, cherry, coffee flavor, or any other taste to be injected to the cigarette 11 using the device 20A, 20.

The smoker can achieve the taste required, at any time during smoking the cigarette, and at any intensity required, by injecting the material at the time desired and controlling the amount injected.

The device design may fit one of the options illustrated such as a standalone device 20A, a device 20 that is attached to a cigarette pack, or any other option such as a device, which is attached to a cigarette lighter device (not shown) or is attached to mouth freshener or any other configuration.

As has been described, different embodiments are conceivable, where the injection is effected by pressing a button 1 or by pressing a flavor material container 23. Both may be applied on the standalone injecting device 20A and the injecting device 20, which is adapted to be mounted on a pack of cigarettes, respectively. The injecting device 20, which is adapted to be mounted on a pack of cigarettes, includes attachment flanges or lips that protrude from the device 20 for engaging at least two outer edges of the cigarette pack. The embodiment of FIG. 2 includes four such attachment flanges or lips, which engage the cigarette pack.

The Mechanism

The mechanism used to insert the additive liquid through the nozzle 7 to the cigarette may be similar to the options described hereby or any other alternative mechanism, which may be used for the same purpose.

The Container

The container 23 located in the device 20 is filled with the additive. The container 23 may be either used as a disposable reservoir or as a re-used unit to be filled whenever the content of the container is fully used. The container 23 might be designed as an integral part of the device or as replaceable unit to be ejected from the device from time to time when the container 23 is fully used and shall be replaced by a filled container.

The Additive Flavor Liquid Material

The flavor liquid material may fit any desired taste and be delivered in either filled cartridges or in a container for refill use.

List Of Parts Compatible With Attached Drawings

FIG. 1

-   1. Push button -   2. Button housing -   3. Helical compression spring -   4. Diaphragm shaft -   5. Flexible diaphragm or membrane -   6. Housing for standalone device -   7. Penetrating nozzle -   8. O-Rings -   9. Cup for receiving and guiding a cigarette end -   20A. Device for flavoring a cigarette

FIGS. 2 and 3

-   7. Penetrating nozzle -   11. Cigarette -   20. Device for flavoring a cigarette -   21. Cigarette package -   22. Ejecting container sliding button -   23. Flavor material container -   25. Container ejecting (button) spring -   30. Device body -   35. Upper device cover -   38. Injecting mechanism

Aspects of the Invention

A first aspect relates to a method of changing a cigarette's flavor to the smoker's preference before or while smoking the cigarette, by using the device to insert additive material into the cigarette.

A second aspect relates to a device specially configured to insert material into the cigarette that changes the cigarette's taste to a specific desired taste.

A third aspect relates to the device of the second aspect attached to a cigarette package.

A fourth aspect relates to the device of the second aspect together with a lighter in one unit.

A fifth aspect relates to the device of the fourth aspect attached to a cigarette package.

A sixth aspect relates to an additive material with coffee flavor to imitate coffee taste flavor with cigarette smoking. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of adapting flavor and taste of a cigarette to a preference of a smoker before or while smoking the cigarette, by using a device to insert an additive material into the cigarette.
 2. The method cording to claim 1, which comprises injecting additive material into the cigarette at a filter side of the cigarette.
 3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises injecting additive material into the cigarette at a tobacco side of the cigarette.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive material is inserted by penetrating the cigarette with a nozzle and injecting the additive material into the cigarette, whereafter the additives material can be inhaled by the smoker together with the tobacco smoke.
 5. A device specially designed to insert material into a cigarette for adapting the taste of said cigarette to a specific desired taste.
 6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said device is adapted to be attached to a cigarette package.
 7. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a lighter formed in one unit in said device.
 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said device is adapted to be attached to a cigarette package.
 9. The device according to claim 5, comprising: a flavor material container for storing flavor material; and a penetrating nozzle, said penetrating nozzle being adapted to be inserted into the cigarette and injecting the flavor material from said flavor material container into the cigarette.
 10. The device according to claim 9, adapted such that the flavor material injection is activated by pressing the flavor material container.
 11. The device according to claim 9, further comprising a button, wherein the device is adapted such that the flavor material injection is activated by pushing the button.
 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said button is located on a back side of the device, said back side of said device facing away from the cigarette to be flavored.
 13. The device according to claim 11, wherein said button is connected to a flexible diaphragm or a piston that is adapted to pressurize flavor liquid within the flavor material container when the button is pushed.
 14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the flexible diaphragm or piston is located within the flavor material container. 